Tigers can't repeat comeback feat vs. Royals

While top prospects Spencer Torkelson (No. 1) and Riley Greene (No. 2) gave Tigers fans a glimpse of their offensive future on Saturday, Miguel Cabrera had to wonder if he was living out Groundhog Day with an alternate ending.

One day after Cabrera hit a grand slam as part of a two-homer game, there he stood again in the batter’s box at Kauffman Stadium, one of his favorite places to hit, a full count with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and the chance to power his team ahead. The Royals' reliever was different, but the pitch was the same. The result was opposite.

It was one of two missed opportunities for the Tigers in the last three innings of a series-evening 7-5 loss, ending their four-game winning streak and missing their chance at five consecutive wins on a road trip for the first time since June 2014.

Someday, maybe not too far in the future, that big hit could come from Torkelson or Greene, who had a good Saturday at different ends of the Minor Leagues. Minutes after Torkelson hit his first professional home run for High-A West Michigan at Wisconsin, Greene hit his third homer in as many games for Double-A Erie. Both are on 7-for-17 tears -- one homer and six RBIs in five games for Torkelson, two homers and nine RBIs in the last four games for Greene -- as they learn to adjust to how pitchers attack them in long series.

Detroit’s hitters, too, are adjusting. Their ability to stay in games and rally offensively is a major step forward from April, when even a three-run deficit sometimes felt insurmountable. They just missed the big hit to complete Saturday’s rallies.

“We’re going to keep fighting and play the entire game,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “I’m proud of our guys’ effort. We gave ourselves plenty of opportunities. They outplayed us and got the win.”

While the Royals picked apart starter Matthew Boyd for five runs in as many innings, including three RBIs for Andrew Benintendi, Detroit stayed close with a similar small-ball attack fueled by a two-run single from Akil Baddoo and an RBI single for Harold Castro. But two walks -- one from Brady Singer, the other from Scott Barlow -- and a Robbie Grossman single served up the middle of the order with a chance to go ahead in the seventh.

Four of Detroit’s five hitters in the inning worked three-ball counts, the final three batters going full. Castro fouled off a curveball to extend his at-bat, but he declined to chase a slider in the dirt or a fastball up and away from Barlow, and walked to load the bases with one out.

Both Jeimer Candelario and Cabrera put Barlow in a situation where he had to throw a strike or risk walking in a run. Barlow retired both by spotting 3-2 sliders, a pitch that can produce whiffs (39.3 percent chase rate) and soft contact (5-for-34 with two doubles and 12 strikeouts this year, according to Statcast).

It’s why Royals manager Mike Matheny stuck with Barlow with the bases loaded. He throws harder and more precisely than Greg Holland, whose slider Cabrera hit for a go-ahead grand slam on Friday. Barlow used his mid-90s fastball up and in on Cabrera with a 3-1 count to induce a chase and run the count full.

The situation played out again in the ninth after Grossman’s two-run homer and Castro’s single brought the potential tying run to the plate against Josh Staumont. Matheny stuck with his hard-throwing young closer, even after Candelario fouled off three consecutive fastballs with 3-2 count in an eventual nine-pitch walk. Cabrera, perhaps worried about falling down in the count, again chased a high-and-inside fastball, this time at 95.8 mph on the first pitch. He flied out to right.

After Niko Goodrum singled to load the bases, Staumont tuned up his fastball some more, spotting 98 mph for a called third strike on Jonathan Schoop before fanning Willi Castro on 100.4 mph to end the game.

The Tigers sent eight batters to the plate in the ninth, taxing Staumont for 36 pitches, the second-longest outing of his career. They turned four hits and a walk into two runs, but needed just a little more.

Someday, Greene or Torkelson will get in line for that big hit. For now, they’re making progress.